“I love that Swedish icon, the Dala Horse so much and these ladies do too! You know how some little thing can turn into something a lot bigger? Well, that’s what happened here: Pam asked me for suggestions decorations for a Dala horse she wanted to sew and then I said “I’m working on a Dala embroidery pattern!” and then we somehow ended up deciding that we should do a Dala Craftalong and Pam suggested we get Hanna and Kathryn involved too and then I think I kinda suggested that we should get the whole internet to craft along too!”

Image by Pam Harris
Dala Horses, as Carina mentions, are a traditional craft of Sweden, and Hanna, who lives there, has shared some insight into where and how they’re made. Here’s a wonderful video showing the traditional hand-painting techniques that decorate them:
It’s fun seeing how all these crafters are interpreting the form differently, too – Kathryn needle-felted hers, Pam made a softie, Carina designed some fabrics, and Hanna made a collage.Image by Kathryn Sterrenberg
If you also love Dala horses and want to get in on this craft-along, you can and get a button from Carina’s blog (and a free Dala applique template, if you like). Just add your handmade Dala photos to the group’s Flickr pool, and share them on your blog.